DNA base pair and Nano-DNA interactions

Conference poster, 2019

Experimental data from crystalline DNA has been used to understand the biochemistry model of the base pair organization. The interaction within the structure can be defined by the competition between the vdW interaction, steric hindrance and other forces in between the base pairs. These can be understood by stacking of the base pairs as described by the rise, twist, roll, and slide of the elementary unit. On the other hand, DNA also contains a backbone, including phosphate linker units; the backbone correlates with average structural parameters of stacking of DNA. NanoDNA contains only a few base pairs, and the backbone is short. The base pairs in DNA are typically lying flat and parallel, and with a 3 Å separation (rise), a size that reveals a key importance of the vdW attraction.